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"I don't know!" Zeal snapped. "We have never known. I made a guess, and Nari made it better. Don't ask me how to fix this problem. Ask the woman who is doing it better than six gods could do on their own! Figure it out yourself. I. Do. Not. Know, Talin, because I am a god, and I will never think just like a man!"
I nodded, staring into the face of his rage, but feeling nothing but concern for him. "Then we'll figure it out," I promised. "So long as they each have one, they're safe, right?"
"So long as that one does not die," he pointed out. "So long as that one is not removed from the temple. So long as they actually have that one, there, able to give faith to their god, then yes. It's just barely enough."
"Then one is a good place to start," I decided. "I just have to figure out how to get her to the other temples, because I don't think we can do anything about the High Priests fighting."
"No, but they will eventually turn on Kinen, and that works for us." Then Zeal reached over and cupped the side of my face. "So you know, you ended up better than I ever could've imagined. I thought Ela would need to break you before Nari would be able to use you. Instead, you have bent yourself into a knot. It's not necessary. It's not what I'm asking of you. I just need you to keep her safe when they can't, because they will keep her safe when you can't, and I give you my word that I will step in when all four of you fail."
"And when she gets hurt because of it?" I asked.
"Then she will heal, she will grow, and she will be stronger than she was before." His thumb swept across my cheek. "I didn't pick the five of you because you're fragile. I picked you all because you're strong in the exact places you need to be, and you love the weaknesses in each other. So love strong, my Blade. Love so fucking hard it hurts."
And then he leaned in, but just as his lips brushed mine, Zeal chose that moment to leave. Still, I found myself smiling. Love strong, he'd told me, and that was exactly what I wanted to do.
Chapter 20
Nariana
We bandaged wounds, checked a man for a concussion, and assisted with a priestess suffering from food sickness. All of it was interesting, and I felt like I learned so much over the short time Farik was teaching us that afternoon. So, when we were finally released, I was nearly bouncing with excitement, rather than exhausted from being on my feet for so long.
I rounded the corner just as Talin pushed to his feet. He was alone, with no sign of Zeal, but with the sweetest smile on his lips. He looked a little amused about something. When he closed the distance between us, Talin reached up to wipe at my cheek, and his laugh finally broke out.
"You were right in the middle of things, weren't you?" he teased.
"It was probably vomit," I admitted.
"Dust," he assured me.
Then he leaned in and kissed me. It didn't matter at all that other priests and priestesses were still making their way out, heading for the stairs. He didn't hesitate at the public nature of this kiss. Talin simply found my lips, teased them apart, and tasted my mouth as if he'd waited much too long.
I leaned into him, loving the feel of his strength, there to always hold me up. His arm slid around my back, and the hand on my cheek moved back, into my hair. Our kiss deepened, and I felt like time paused for a moment. Everything around us faded. Nothing mattered as much as the feel of his lips on mine.
When he finally pulled away, it was slowly, almost reluctantly. "You're supposed to see your scheduler," he said, his voice just a little deeper than normal.
I pressed my hand to his chest, aware of his heart pounding in a rhythm to rival my own. "We need to get Ela first."
"Oh, you think I should share you with him, hm?" he teased, but his words were soft, meant for just us.
"Or you can make us a fire in the new room, lay out a bed on the floor before it, and make him sleep alone with Anver and Wraythe," I suggested.
"Which doesn't count as alone," Talin pointed out, wrapping his arm around my back and guiding me to the stairs. "So, are you going to tell me about your favorite class of the day?"
I did. The whole way back to our room, I explained all about the proper way to wrap a bandage, how to check someone's pulse, and other tidbits that I'd picked up from Farik. The best part was that Talin didn't just smile and nod. He actually listened, asking me questions when he couldn't keep up, and commenting on the parts he thought were impressive.
I knew it was silly, and the reality was that I'd likely never really use the knowledge I was learning, but I also couldn't help but think that this was where I belonged. Maybe, if I hadn't been so indecisive on my Choosing Day, I would've declared the Path of Action and chosen medicine like Wen.
But I never would've gotten Talin. I certainly wouldn't have been Ela's partner. Anver would've quickly forgotten me. If I had to do it all over again, I would still choose the Path I'd taken - but it was nice to see the other options and know for sure if I would've been happy. I couldn't explain why, but it felt like some kind of closure.
When we finally made it back home, Ela and Wraythe were sitting on the couch, waiting. Evidently Anver had already left to see what assignment Tishlie had gotten in her Sensuality class. They would be having a session on the same day, it seemed. So were most of the other specialties, from the sounds of it.
"It's the same thing," Ela explained as we headed to the second floor to meet with Migard. "From the talk in the dining hall, it sounds like all of the specializations got stuck with the same theme. We all get to teach newbies how to fuck."
"Well, I guess it could be worse," I pointed out. "At least we aren't having to do displays for the Exotics. Having you piss on me to turn someone on is not high on my list of priorities."
Ela actually laughed at that. Wraythe tried to smother his own chuckle, but he wasn't very good at it. Talin simply murmured like I'd made a very valid point. I was just about to ask if he was getting some new ideas when we reached the door to the schedulers area. But when Wraythe pulled the door open for us all, it no longer seemed important. The room was full, and I was partly worried that someone from the Exotic specialization might be waiting around, overhear, and take that wrong.
Inside the large, open office where multiple Priests of the Word were at work, dozens of students were hovering over various desks. Others waited against the wall, making it clear that some of the schedulers were overbooked. The four of us walked around the edge, aiming for where Migard's desk was on the far side of the room. Just before we got there, Ela grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side. That was when I saw the very pretty, dark-skinned man who already had our scheduler's complete attention.
